SS GreenLight Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series Michigan International Speedway | New Holland 250 Fast Facts

No. 07 SS GreenLight Racing Team:
Driver: Joe Graf Jr. (@JoeGrafJr)
Primary Partner(s): PowerWeld
Manufacturer: Chevrolet Camaro
Crew Chief: Joe Williams
New Holland 250 Starting Position: 32nd (Event Formula)
Driver Points Position: 29th | Owner Points Position: 35th
Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines (ECR)

Notes of Interest:

Welcome Aboard: This weekend at Michigan International Speedway, SS GreenLight Racing and Joe Graf Jr. welcome PowerWeld as the primary partner of the team’s No. 07 Chevrolet Camaro for Saturday afternoon’s New Holland 250.

Michigan marks PowerWeld’s first foray into NASCAR and will be onsite to support Graf and the SS GreenLight Racing team for the 23rd race of the season.

About PowerWeld: PowerWeld is a leading brand in the industrial welding products market across North America. Its core areas of focus include welding filler metals, arc, MIG and TIG welding accessories and equipment, gas welding and cutting accessories and equipment, and welding safety.

PowerWeld products are designed to withstand the daily rigors of industrial applications, including manufacturing, metalworking, oil and gas, construction, fabrication, shipyards, automotive repair and more.

PowerWeld products are available at quality distributors and retailers in the United States and Canada.

PowerWeld Safety Tip of the Week: Button Up. Any exposed skin is susceptible to the painful and damaging effects of ultraviolet and infrared rays.

Button shirt collars, cuffs and front pockets to prevent them from catching sparks and to cover exposed skin. Do not keep matches or butane lighters in your pockets. Avoid wearing cuffed pants, as the cuffs may catch sparks.

Winning Welder: Thanks to the new support from PowerWeld, fans have an opportunity to win a brand-new welder autographed by Joe Graf Jr. and team owner Bobby Dotter.

To enter, follow or like Joe Graf Jr. on Twitter or Facebook, tag two friends and retweet or share the contest to your social media platform.

A winner will be chosen at the end of the month.

Saving You Some Money: As summer slowly starts to transition into fall, Joe Graf Jr.’s other marketing partner Z Grills wants to help the NASCAR community save money – but also enjoy the perfect barbecue.

In support of their recent partnership at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway last month, Z Grills Racing (ZGrillsRacing.com) is offering a 10 percent discount off your TOTAL purchase, using the code NASCAR at checkout.

Races for Faces: Joe Graf Jr. announced this week that for the second consecutive year, Graf will be virtually participating in myFace’s Races for Faces, an event to raise awareness for myFace, an organization that helps kids and families living with craniofacial differences.

Graf is encouraging in the industry along with race fans to join  “Team Graf” and show your support of his mission.

Over the coming weeks, stay tuned for ways you can show your support of “Team Graf” and see how your name can appear on the No. 07 Chevrolet Camaro at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway next month.

While the virtual event will be held on Sept. 19., donations to “Team Graf” will be accepted through Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021.

Irish Hills Return: Joe Graf Jr. returns to the Irish Hills of Brooklyn, Mich. with two prior ARCA Menards Series starts to his credit.

During the 2018 and 2019 seasons respectively, Graf earned back-to-back top-five finishes driving for Chad Bryant Racing with a Michigan best of fourth in 2019 during the VIZCOM 200.

He has driven 199 of the 200 laps completed for a 99.5 percentage event completion rate.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Michigan International Speedway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s New Holland 250 will mark Graf’s Xfinity first career start at MIS.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series had planned to compete at Michigan last year, but the event was realigned to another race track due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Speedway Nuggets: At tracks greater than 1.0-mile in size, Graf has competed in 28 NASCAR Xfinity Series races. He holds an average starting position of 25.5 and an average result of 24.2.

Put Me In Coach: To strengthen his physique, Joe Graf Jr. began working with new trainer and former NASCAR Cup Series Josh Wise during the 2020 offseason.

In addition to Wise, Graf has also been working with former NASCAR driver and open wheel driver Scott Speed on being more discipline behind the wheel of his No. 07 G-Coin Chevrolet Camaro.

Sneaker Mania: Along with the adrenaline of the Motorsports competition, Joe Graf Jr. also has a vogue for hype sneakers. In his current collection, he owns and wears at least 85 limited edition sneakers – and his collection continues to grow every month.

The current estimated value of his collection tops $90,000.

New Leadership: SS GreenLight Racing announced last month that Joe Williams has taken over crew chief duties for Joe Graf Jr. for the remainder of the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

Williams joins SS GreenLight Racing after a tenure at Our Motorsports. Additionally, Danny Johnson joins the Mooresville, N.C.-based team as car chief.

From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Joe Williams is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief.

He will crew chief his 54th NASCAR Xfinity Series race as crew chief on Saturday afternoon and his first at the 2.0-mile oval.

In his previous 53 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, he has collected four top-five and 14 top-10 finishes.

Hello From The Other Side: Graf Jr. has a teammate at SS GreenLight Racing. Veteran Carson Ware will drive the No. 17 JACOB Construction Chevrolet on Saturday afternoon.

Ware is poised to make his fifth career Xfinity Series start and second of the 2021 season. He is the younger brother of NASCAR and IndyCar Series driver Cody Ware.

Follow on Social Media: For more on Joe Graf Jr. visit JoeGrafRacing.com, like him on Facebook (Joe Graf Jr.), follow him on Twitter (@JoeGrafJr) and Instagram (@joegrafjr).

For more on SS GreenLight Racing, please like them on Facebook (SS GreenLight Racing) and follow them on Twitter (@SSGLR0717) and visit their website at SSGreenLight.com.

Joe Graf Jr. Pre-Race Quotes:

On Michigan: “I am really excited about going back to Michigan. It was one of my best tracks in the ARCA Menards Series where we had two strong runs capped off with two top-five finishes.

“I know the competition is going to be strong this weekend in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, but there is some satisfaction knowing that I have success at Michigan.

“A top-20 is our goal on Saturday afternoon and I think we can accomplish that.”

On New Leadership: “I have a positive outlook and approach for the final two and a half months of the season.

“I will continue to work hard and give everything both on and off the track to enhance the overall presence and performance of our team and partners for the rest of the 2021 season.”

On Building From July Finishes: “Going forward we are going to focus on what we can control and continue to execute at our highest level during the second half of the year. There are 11 races left in the season and hopefully, we have used up all of our bad luck.

“I would be worried if our cars lacked competitiveness, but they don’t and I think we showcased that a little bit last month at Atlanta and again at New Hampshire.

“I am excited about getting back to an oval. The vibe seems really good right now between myself and Joe (Williams) and I hope that continues.”

Race Information:

The New Holland 250 (125 laps | 250 miles) is the 22nd of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2021 schedule. The race will take the green flag on Sat., Aug. 21, 2021, shortly after 3:30 p.m. ET with live coverage on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN), the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (ET).

About SS Green Light Racing:

As one of the most tenured teams in all of NASCAR, SS GreenLight Racing led by team owner and former driver Bobby Dotter has been a mainstay in the sport fielding entries in either the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series or the Xfinity Series competition since 2001.

SS GreenLight Racing will continue with a two-car program in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2021.